milne



4 Sheets- Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

1. MILNE.

GRAIN DRIER.-

N. PUERS, Pholomlwgnphur. washington. n. C.

4 Sheets-'Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

J. MILNE. GRAIN DRIBR.

N PETERS. PhclvLihogmpher, Washington, D, Cy

f 4 Sheets-Sheet 3. J. MILNE. GRAIN DRIBR.

(No Model.)

Patented 00L-2.7.1885.

(No Model.) 1 4 sheetssheet 4. J. MILNE.

GRAIN DRIER. No. 329,198. Patented Oct. 27, 1885.

iliTnn STATES zATENT miren.

JAMES MILNE, OF ABERDEEN, SCOTLAND, ASSIGNOR 'IO vM ILNE BROTHERS,

- OF SAME PLACE.

GRAIN-DRIER.

QBPEGIFICA'I'ION forming part of Letters Patent No. 329,198, dated October 27, 1885. Application tiled December 31A, 1884. Serial No. 151,650. (No model.)

T @Hicham it may .concern/.-

Be it known that I, JAMES MILNE, of the town and county of Aberdeen, Scotland, have invented new or Improved Apparatus for Drying Grain or Seeds, the following being a specification of the invention.

This invention, which relates to new or improved apparatus for drying grain or seedsfor example, oats, barley, wheat, malt, peas,

1o beans,or other kinds of seeds-has vfor its object to provide a comparatively inexpensive and automatic apparatus,not liable to get out of working order.

The apparatus consists of oneor more long upright screen or screens or frames placed in a hot-air chamber, and so arranged as to divide the chamber into two, but `preferably into three, compartments, although other number of compartments may be used, and

2o with the narrow compartments near the walls of the chamber. In the case of the chamber divided as aforesaid into three compartments, the middle compartment is separated into two by a horizontal plate, which, for the sake of distinctness, I define as the lower middle an( upper middle compartments, respectively. rlhe lower middle compartment is open to the heated air ascending from a furnace, and which heated air passes through the 3o screens between which the grain is descending, and into the narrow spaces or compartments between the screens and the walls. The heated air again passes through the screens containing the descending grain into the upper middle compartment, and is drawn off (carrying the moisture with it) at the top by means of an exhaust-fan, chimney,or ventila-` tor placed at the top of this compartment between the two screens. The screens or frames 4o are composed of wire or wire-cloth placed in a zigzag position joined .and fitted by means of iron plates in each screen. Each screen is formed of two sheets of wire or wire-cloth placed parallel to each other in a zigzag position and at a distance sufficiently apart to allow the grain to descend between them. Each screen is fed by means of ahopper having regulating-spouts attached to it. The grain descends through the zigzag screens,

5o and is completely dried on reaching the bottom, and is delivered by means of a iiuted revolving roller or other regulating apparatus into bins, bags, or elevators, as required. The inclosing-walls of the heated-air conlpartments are formed of brick, the lower halves of which are provided with hollows near the inner edge, so that they may be the m-ore effectively heated by means of this hol` low space being filled with air,and convey the said heated air into the chamber above. 6o

In the drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are vertical sections of a drying kiln constructed 4 according to my present invention, taken, respectively, on the lines A B and C D. Figs. 3 and 4 are horizontal sections of the 65 same, taken, respectively, on the lines E E and G H, Figs. l and 2. Fig. 5 is a section on the line I J, Figs. 1 and 4.

In carrying out my present improvements, I construct the said kiln with thelong upright screens or frames a, situated therein. These screens or frames a are so arranged as to divide the chamber or kiln preferably into the three compartments l), c, and d, with the narrow compartments c and d adjacent to the 7 5 Walls e and-f of .the kiln, or, if required, the kiln may be divided into more compartments. than three, as before mentioned. ln the case .of the, kiln or chamber being divided into the three compartments b, c, and d, the middle compartment, b, is separated into two by a horizontal plate, or preferably, as represented on the accompanying drawings, by the horizontal plate g and the arch h, supported by the said plate. Both theplate g and the arch 8 5 h are by preference constructed of wroughtiron, and they are or' may be supported by the T-iron girders or joists c', built into the walls j and k of the kiln or chamber, or by other suitable means. 9o

For the sake of distinctness I define the parts of the middle compartment above and below the plate g and arch h, respectively, as the upper middle and lower middle7 compartments. The lower middle compartment is 9 5 directly open to the heated air ascending from the furnace l. Theheated air, in ascending from the said furnace l, passes in the direction Y of the arrows through the screens or frames a,

below `the plate g and arch h, and between roo which screens ay the grain is descending, and thence the heated air passes into the narrow spaces or compartments c and d between the said screens a and the walls e and f. In its further upward travel, and when above the plate g,theheated air t-hen flows inward above the said plate g and toward the arch h, and through the screens or frames a into theupper middle compartment, b, and from there the said heated air is drawn off through the narrow chimney m, which is preferably construeted of brick-work, and through the hood a to the chimney or ventilator o. If the draft through the chimney or ventilator o be found insufficient to carry olf the heated air and moisture from the kiln, it may be increased by means of an exhaust-fan, steamjet, or by other equivalent means. These screens or frames a are formed of wire or wire-cloth placed in a zigzag position, as represented upon the accompanying drawings. These screens or frames a are joined and fitted by means of the vertical iron plates z', which are supported at their lower ends upon the wrought-iron girders or joists p, and-by any further supports necessary. Each of the screens or frames a is formed of two sheets of wire or wire-cloth arranged parallel to each other in a zigzag position, and at a distance sufficiently apart to allow the grain to descend between them. The sets of screens or frames a at the two sides of the kiln are fed with grain from the hoppers q and r, being connected thereto by means of the distributing and regulating spouts s. The grain in descending through the zigzag screens a being acted upon by the ascending currents of heated air, is completely dried on reaching the bottom of the said screens c, where it is received by the fluted rollers t, or other regulating discharge apparatus, These rollers t, which are caused to rotate intermittently, as hereinafter more particularly described, delivtr the grain through the chutes a into tte long chutes e, and may be either drawn off into bags or other receptacles, or, as shown upon the accompanying drawings, the said grain may be directed into the elevators tc, and by them carried to the upper part of the building, where it is delivered through the chutes m into the dry corn-bins y. The inclosing-walls e, f, j, and la of the kiln are constructed of brick, and in the lower part of the walls e and fthe hollow passageseare formed. Into the lower ends of these passages z the tubes a are led, the opposite ends of which open into the side walls of the furnace Z. rlhe upper ends of the passages z open above the horizontal plate g, and are provided with the dampers b', which may be operated from the ends of the kiln by any suitable means. By means of these passages z and tubes a highly-heated air is conducted directly into the upper part of the kiln. The baflieplates c are provided for the purpose of directing the ascending currents of heated air in such manner as to cause them to impinge upon and to pass through the wire or wirecloth of which the screens a are composed. The narrow chimney m, hereinbefore described, is provided with the damper d', by means of which the draft through the kiln may be regulated. The fluted rollers t are caused to rotate intermittently, as hereinbefore mentioned. This intermittent motion is imparted to them by means of the gearing now to be described. The toothed pinionwheels a (preferably of four-inch pitch-line diameter) are secured upon the shafts f of the said rollers t. These pinion-wheels n gear into the wheels g', (preferably of twelveinch pitch-line dialecten) upon a third (only) of whose circumference teeth are formed. It will thus be seen that while the wheels g are making one-third of a revolution the pinionwheels n make a complete revolution and remain at rest, while the wheels g complete the remaining two-thirds of their revolution. at which time the pinion-wheels n are rotated by being again geared with the toothed portons of the wheels g. Upon the shafts 7L', to which the wheels g are secured, there are also provided the toothed wheels i', which gear into the pinion-wheelsj, secured to the shafts k. These wheels fi' and j/ are so arranged as to admit of their being readily removed from their respective shafts, and thereby allow of wheels of other diameters being placed thereon, in order that the rate at which the rollers t are rotated may be varied in accordance with the class of grain being operated upon by the drying-kiln. Upon the shafts k there are provided the band-pulleys Z, for connecting the two tinted rollers t together and rotating them in unison by means of the crossed band m. Upon one of these shafts lo there is provided the sheave pulley n', which is connected by the band o to any convenient motor or ycountershaft.

In operation the law grain is fed into the hopper p', and is divided into two portions, each of which descends by a chute, q', into the buckets of the elevator r', by which the said raw grain is conveyed to the upper part ofthe building and discharged through the chutes s into the hoppers q and r. The raw grain thence descends through the zigzag distributing and regulating spouts s into the troughs t', which are divided lengthwise into as many parts as there are divisions in the corresponding screens a. Vithin these troughs t there are arranged suitable vaues or louvers for distributing the grain equally across the screens or frames a. The grain then passes into the upper part of the screens ci and descends first in one direction and then in an opposite direction through the said screens, being still further mixed and distributed in its descent 4therethrough by the projecting portions a of the wire or wire-cloth at the angles of the screens c, which present to the descending grain alternately projections a', and spaces n' between such projections, as represented more particularly at Fig. 4. The grain then Afalls IIO IZO

ISO

into the receptacles formed in the fluted rollers t, which are contained within casings the outlets of which are formed by the chutes u, through which the grain then falls into the long chutes c, to be delivered bythem into the elevators w. These elevators carry the dry corn or other grain to the upper part of the building, and discharge it through the chutes m into the dry-corn bins y, or into any other receptacle which may be provided for the purpose.

The elevators w and r' are or may be oper ated by means of the shaft w', pulley fr', and band y', or by other suitable means.

v It is to be understood, although the screens or frames c have been hereinbefore described as formed of wire or wire-cloth, that such screens or frames may be made of materials analogous to Wire or wire-cloth-such, for eX- ample, as perforated plates.

I claiml. In agrain-drier, the combination of a heating-chamber, a transverse partition in said chamber, a zigzag screen through which the grain descends, and a second chamber, into and through which the heated air and vapor pass after having passed once through the grain, as set forth.

2. The combination of the hot-air chamber b, the transverse plate i, dividing it into an upper and a lower compartment, the zigzag screen a, through which the grain passes, the chamber or air-passage c, between which and the chamber b said screen is located, the buffer or deilector c', placed across said chamber c, and the chimney m, opening from the upper compartment of the chamber b, all constructed and arranged substantially as set forth.

3. In a grain-drier, the combination, with the screen or passage through which the grain descends, of a hot-air chamber and a flue leading from said hot-air chamber, for shunting the air and discharging it against the grain in the upper part of the said screen or passage,

substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with the-hot-air chamber b, having the plate t', by which it is divided into an upper anda lower compartment, and the zigzag screen c, through which the grain descends, of the air-chamber c, between which and the chamber b said screen a is located, and the hot-airflue or passage z, leading from the heating chamber and discharging heated air into the chamber c opposite or nearly opposite the upper compartment of the chamber b, as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination of a pair of zigzag screens placed side by side in an upright position, the air-chamber between them having a transverse plate by which it is divided into an upper and a lower compartment, two air spaces or chambers between which and the central chamber, the respective screens are located, deflectors above the dividing-plate of the central chamber, for directing the heated air from the upper portions of the outer airchambers into the upper compartment of the central chamber, and a chimney leading from said upper compartment, as set forth.

6. The combination, with the hopper and the drying screen, of the zigzag distributlngspouts for conducting the grain from said hopper to said screen, said distributing-spouts1n-v creasing in width from top to bottom, whereby the grain is spread out evenly in a sheet the whole Width of the drying screen before bev ing delivered thereonto, substantially as described.

7. In a drying apparatus, the combination, l

with a screen through which the grain passes, of an air chamber or passage on. each side thereof, transverse4 partitions or deflectors across the respective chambers, so arranged as to direct the air back and forth through the screen and direct communication between said chambers and the furnace orheater, whereby the air is heated in each chamber prior to passing through the screen, as set forth.

8, In a drying apparatus, the combination, with a screen containing the grain, an air passage or chamber on each side thereof, and transversev partitions or defiectors arranged across said chambers, so as to direct the heated air back and forth through said screen, of hotair flues leading from the hot-air chamber and opening into the air-chambers in such a manner as to reheat the air after it has passed through the screen, and before it passes throughl IOO 

